Chapter 359 The Underground Passage
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I spent my days balancing the restoration of the East-West trade route with the ongoing Project Harvest¹. In the midst of that busy schedule, I managed to find a quiet moment with my love-slave, Lily.
”Dah-ooo! Ma-ma!”
Of course, I couldn’t forget my darling daughter, Momo. She was growing more adorable by the hour. She’d mastered the art of sitting up, and her energy was so boundless I expected her to start crawling any second.
”There, there. Sorry I’ve been away so much lately, kiddo,” I said.
”Ah-ee!” Momo replied.
She’d gotten surprisingly heavy. Picking her up, I felt a wave of pure happiness as I took a sniff of that sweet baby scent from her tummy. She happily tugged on my hair in response – an act that was, as they say, quite poetic in its own way.
”Anyway, that makes six… no, five, I suppose,” I muttered.
I shifted Momo to my lap, counting the faces in my mind. I couldn’t exactly perform “radical experiments” on Her Majesty the Queen, so I decided to leave her out of the tally for now. That left Muse the maid, Captain Merluza, Sera-chan from the Merchant Guild Twilight², Marm-san from the Adventurers’ Guild³, and Suu-san from the Association of Beast-folk⁴.
Five total.
If I could arrange a session with each of them once a month, then even with the occasional accident, the math suggested I could manage one “experiment” a week. I was just settling into the idea that I wouldn’t have any trouble in that department for a while, when…
”It looks like you’ve finally passed the halfway point. Good work, Master,” Lily said.
”…Halfway?” I asked.
Lily leaned against me, murmuring something rather alarming. Ignoring my visible shudder, she continued to rub her head against my shoulder, hugging my arm and nipping at my ear.
”I have to get my ‘Master-fix’ while I can,” she whispered. “Momo, you should take a sniff, too.”
”…Even for me, I think five more would be impossible,” I said.
”You’ve just passed the midpoint, so there are only four left. Of course, if you desire it, Master, I wouldn’t mind if there were five or six,” Lily replied.
”No, no, no, no…”
What on earth did she expect of me? Honestly, it wasn’t that I lacked candidates, but I didn’t think I needed to push myself that hard.
”A-anyway, putting that aside. Is there anything you need? Are you lacking for anything?” I asked.
”Lacking? It’s sweet of you to worry, but just because you haven’t come home for a few mornings doesn’t mean anything exciting happens here. I’m not you, Master,” Lily said with a smirk.
”What’s that supposed to mean? Besides, doesn’t your so-called ‘Master-fix’ run out after a couple of days?”
”The ‘Master-fix’ is just an excuse to flirt with you, so please, don’t overthink it,” Lily said playfully.
Was Lily always this much of a free spirit? No, she was likely just in high spirits because I was home. Finding her adorable, I pulled her close and nibbled on her ear. As expected, she beamed, snuggling closer and seeking a kiss.
I had no reason to refuse – in fact, it was exactly what I wanted – so I met her halfway. However, as we were lost in the moment, little Lady Momo began to slap my stomach in protest. Right. I suppose watching her parents shamelessly flirt was a bit much for her.
”Oh, that reminds me. It seems the underground passage is officially open,” Lily remarked.
”Huh? The underground passage? You mean the one that’s supposed to connect to the Royal Palace?” I asked.
Even as I turned my attention back to Momo, Lily continued to nuzzle against me. I tilted my head. The only “underground passage” I knew of was that ambitious plan to link my house directly to the palace.
”Yes, that one. It seems Her Majesty was truly serious about it,” Lily said.
”I mean, sure, but didn’t they say they couldn’t spare the labor because it doubles as the royal escape route?”
”It seems Muse-sama got serious about it, too,” Lily replied.
”…Aren’t they mixing business with pleasure a bit too much?” I asked.
”Don’t look at me,” Lily said, shrugging.
In this world, construction is fundamentally fast. Magic exists; as long as you have a talented mage, you can slash project timelines to ribbons. You don’t need heavy machinery to level the earth, and raising embankments is child’s play. Whether it’s raising pillars or stacking stone for walls, a mage makes it look easy. Of course, if you want intricate decoration, you still need craftsmen, but for a tunnel, you’re just moving dirt.
Still, stabilizing a tunnel so it doesn’t collapse seems like a nightmare. Maybe they use Hardening Magic⁵? And where did they put all the displaced soil?
”I think you’re wasting your breath thinking about it,” Lily said. “Construction magic is directly tied to fortification and defense. Even minor nobles have ‘secret techniques’ for it. It would be more unusual if the Royal Family didn’t have a dedicated corps of specialists.”
”…Fair enough,” I admitted.
On these matters, Lily – a former noble daughter – was far more knowledgeable than me. As a fledgling magic-user, I’d studied quite a bit, but I clearly had a long way to go.
”And along with that, it seems construction on the Ddo-Buddy Mansion⁶ is moving right along,” Lily added.
”Really? From the outside, it doesn’t look like anything has changed…”
I figured the completion was still a long way off for the mansion project utilizing the neighboring lot I’d purchased. It was the reward I’d requested from Her Majesty after the war.
”I don’t know the specifics, but I can sense them busy with something in there. I suspect one morning we’ll just wake up and find a magnificent mansion has appeared out of nowhere,” Lily said.
”I only asked for it because I figured talk was cheap… I didn’t expect it to become such an undertaking,” I said.
”Well, Her Majesty knows that’s what you were thinking, so she’s probably working her hardest to surprise you,” Lily noted.
That sounded like her. For all her status, Her Majesty had a mischievous streak and never repaid a favor with anything less than double.
”Lily, you were able to give your input on the interior, right?” I asked.
”Yes. When we were discussing ‘Project Harvest,’ I spoke with Her Majesty directly,” she replied.
The mansion was part of our family planning, given our household was likely to grow. With just Momo, we could manage, but if we ended up with ten children, it’d be cramped. And, well… we’d have to be a lot more careful about when we do it.
”By the way, they’re planning to build a room for the Queen as well,” Lily mentioned.
”…That’s news to me,” I said, stunned.
”On paper, it’s for emergencies… but in reality, she’ll probably use any excuse to drop by. On the bright side, the security will be top-notch,” Lily said.
I decided to stop asking questions. It seemed I’d underestimated the power of a maiden in love. Her Majesty would surely tell me herself when the time comes. For today, I’d just empty my mind and enjoy some family time.
I pulled both Lily and Momo into my arms. Bliss. Please, let the rest of the day pass without incident…
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I knew I’d messed up. I’d forgotten my own expert skill at building flags.
”…Master,” Lily whispered.
”Hm? Something wrong?” I asked.
”It seems we have a guest,” she said.
No sooner had Lily spoken than a shadow suddenly plummeted from the ceiling into the center of the room. I nearly jumped out of my skin, but seeing who it was, I slumped back down.
”Muse… What do you want now?” I asked.
”This is an emergency, so I’ll be brief,” Muse said. “A message from Cecile-sama: ‘I’m sorry. They asked me so earnestly, I couldn’t say no.’ That is all.”
”Huh…?” I uttered.
The maid vanished back into the ceiling as quickly as she’d appeared. I found myself staring blankly at the rafters until Lily tugged on my sleeve. Just then, the sharp ringing of the back doorbell echoed through the house.
I didn’t understand what was happening, but I couldn’t ignore the door. Reluctantly leaving the warmth of Lily and Momo, I headed to the back entrance and swung it open.
Standing there was the heir to the throne – Prince Roland Canaria.
”Your Highness…! Roly? What are you doing here?” I asked.
”Kento-san… please, you have to help me!” Roland cried.
—
Summary:
Kento enjoys a domestic moment with Lily and baby Momo while reflecting on his ‘experiments’ with various women in his circle. Lily informs him that the underground passage to the Palace is complete and a new mansion is being secretly built for them by the Queen. Their peaceful time is interrupted by Muse, who delivers a cryptic message before Prince Roland arrives at the door in a panic.
—
Character_Insight:
Kento shows a blend of business-like management of his relationships (his ‘experiments’) and genuine paternal affection for Momo. Lily demonstrates high emotional intelligence, using ‘Master-fixes’ as a playful way to maintain intimacy despite Kento’s busy schedule. The Queen’s motive is revealed as a mix of gratitude and a ‘maiden in love’ desire to be physically closer to Kento’s growing family.
—
Behind_the_scene:
The author uses the technical aspects of construction magic to highlight the world-building difference between Earth and this isekai world, emphasizing that mages are essentially living heavy machinery.
—
Glossary:
Notes:
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Momo – The newborn daughter of Kento and Lily. She has pink hair and her father’s ear and eyebrow shapes.
• Merluza – The Captain of the Royal Guard, a veteran soldier and Lion Beast-person. She testifies to the military necessity and effectiveness of the ‘Tremble Ddo-Buddy’ (which she calls ‘Bob’) for female beast-person soldiers, ensuring job performance isn’t compromised by ‘heat’. Have dull yellow hair, large feline ears, wearing armor, and large scar over the right eye.
• Marm – The attractive, red-haired, tanned receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild. She wears a uniform that emphasizes her ‘nice body.’ She is kind and acts like a supportive ‘big sister’ figure to Kento. Looks like Mirajane Strauss from certain series.
• Muse – Cecile’s trusted attendant and chief maid, Muse handles sensitive, discreet tasks like espionage and product acquisition. Have sharp, black eyes, wearing maid uniform, and have expressionless face.
• Sera – A young, earnest salesperson from the Tasogare Merchant Guild, Kento’s supplier. She is characterized by her braided brown hair, large round glasses, and freckles. She’s serious about her job and easily flustered, especially by Kento’s adult goods business. Looks like Onodera from certain series.
• Suu – Secretary for the Royal Capital Beast-person Mutual Aid Association and a cat beast-person. Sample No. 19 in Kento’s report. She steps up as the first witness for the defense. Wears glasses and a tight suit.
• Cecile – A queen in the capital who possesses the authority to regulate business and commerce, particularly concerning moral or public order issues. She is currently investigating Kento’s shop, ‘Harvest.’ Have long golden hair, elegant, and wearing expensive white dress with gold accesories.
• Roland – he younger brother of Queen Cecile and the heir apparent to the Canaria throne. Clean, golden-blonde hair, same color as the Queen, innocent, beautiful face that could be mistaken for a girl but dressed in a boy’s formal wear.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply